Meru Central Dairy expansion highlights focus on feed and farmer productivity

KENYA – Meru Central Dairy Cooperative Union is expanding its dairy value chain to add more value and improve returns for farmers, with its latest investment underscoring the growing importance of productivity and nutrition in Kenya’s milk sector.

The Union recently hosted CIC Insurance Group Managing Director and CEO Patrick Nyaga and his delegation at its new Maziwa Millers Ltd facility in Mitunguu, where the organisations discussed the cooperative’s growth and investments across the dairy value chain.

The delegation was hosted by Meru Central Dairy Cooperative Union CEO Kenneth Gitonga before visiting the Meru Dairy factory and meeting the Union’s management team and Executive Board.

A key focus of the visit was the Union’s reported 28-fold growth over the past 13 years, a milestone the organisation attributed to its farmers, cooperative societies, staff and leadership.

The expansion of processing capacity is significant for the region’s dairy farmers, but maintaining milk supply and quality will also depend on farm-level productivity, including access to appropriate nutrition and other production inputs.

For dairy producers, feed remains one of the most important determinants of animal productivity and production costs.

Improving feeding practices and access to quality inputs can support higher milk yields while helping farmers use available resources more effectively.

Value addition puts greater focus on dairy productivity

Meru Central Dairy’s investment in Maziwa Millers forms part of a wider push to increase value addition within the dairy chain rather than relying solely on the sale of raw milk.

As processing capacity expands, consistent milk volumes and quality from farmers become increasingly important. 

This creates a stronger link between farm-level nutrition, animal productivity and the performance of downstream dairy processing businesses.

The cooperative model also provides a platform for reaching farmers with technical knowledge and production support. 

Organised dairy cooperatives can help producers improve management practices while creating stronger links between farmers, processors and markets.

Meru Central Dairy said its growth demonstrates the potential of organised farmers to transform livelihoods through collective investment and value addition.

The Union’s next phase will focus on sustainable growth, innovation and expanding opportunities for farmers.

For Kenya’s dairy industry, the development also highlights the need to strengthen the entire value chain, from animal nutrition and farm productivity to milk collection, processing and market access.

As dairy processors increase investment in capacity, greater attention to feed efficiency and farmer productivity will be critical to ensuring sufficient, consistent milk supply to support that growth.

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